Cow Tongue Cactus

Cow Tongue Cactus Care

Tulip Pricklypear, Opuntia Engelmannii

Other names: Engelmann Prickly Pear, Texas Prickly-pear

What is the plant

Opuntia phaeacantha is a species of prickly pear cactus known by the common names tulip prickly pear and desert prickly pear found across the southwestern United States, lower Great Plains, and northern Mexico. The plant forms dense but localized thickets. Several varieties of this particular species occur, and it also hybridizes easily with other prickly pears, making identification sometimes tricky.

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Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Full Sun

Hardiness zone

8 - 11

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Prickly pear cow's tongue is drought tolerant so it rarely needs to be watered. Err on the low side of watering, about once per month, if at all, depending upon weather conditions.
Fertilizer
Fertilize with mineral cactus fertilizer once in spring and once in winter.
Sunlight
When growing Gasteria succulents indoors, the light from a sunny window is often enough to keep them happy. Indoor growers say they've experienced excellent results when growing Gasteria succulents in cool rooms with limited sunlight. Gasteria information advises bright, but not direct light for this plant.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
Grow cow's tongue in dry, decomposed granite, sand, or clay-loam that is low in organic content. Soil should, however, be well-draining. Plant this cactus in full sun.
Temperature
Gasteria plants generally like warm summers and slightly cool winters (down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit).
Container
4 Inch Pot

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Additional
Branching are long, narrow pads that look almost exactly like, yep, a cow's tongue seriously armed with spines. Native to central Texas where it gets hot, cow's tongue cactus produces yellow blossoms in the spring that give way to bright purplish red fruit in the summer.
Popularity
14 people already have this plant 12 people have added this plant to their wishlists